Colleges are redesigning transitions to college to reach and support students, especially those furthest from opportunity. On May 1, CLP hosted Redesigning with Transitions in Mind: A Guided Pathways Webinar, the second statewide webinar exploring how colleges and their partners are reimagining transitions to college — such as early onboarding, bridge programs, and dual enrollment — within the Guided Pathways framework.
Find the recorded webinar here and the presentation here.
First we heard from the Long Beach partnerships on transitioning students across three levels of educational systems. Long Beach Unified School District (LBUSD), Long Beach City College (LBCC), and California State University Long Beach (CSULB) shared the work of the Long Beach College Promise and their unified purpose of operationalizing relationships for systemwide impact. In the joint presentation, LBUSD highlighted their counseling modules. CSULB then described the longstanding commitment of each institution’s leadership and the mayor of Long Beach to work collaboratively with an intentional focus on student success. And LBCC presented their work exploring the transitions framework that aligns with Pillar II (get on the path) and Pillar III (stay on the path) of the Guided Pathways framework.
Next we learned about intentionally designing to support formerly incarcerated students transitioning to college. The Rising Scholars Network, formerly Corrections to College, shared their work with a number of community colleges that are supporting students impacted by the criminal justice system. Shasta College shared their STEP-UP program and the many degrees and certificates designed specifically to support success for system-impacted students. Southwestern College’s Urban Scholars program highlighted their holistic approach to creating wrap-around services for formerly incarcerated students including specialized financial aid support, contextualized English courses, and mental health. Laney College’s Restoring Our Communities program discussed the transformational element of an individual’s relationship with education and how to engage formerly incarcerated students as future employees. The Youth Law Center then shared their work in the juvenile justice system with expanding dual enrollment opportunities to currently detained students. To wrap up the webinar, Jacqueline Rodriguez, a student in the College of San Mateo, talked about her experience with the college’s Project Change program, which provides wrap-around student support services, direct access to post secondary education for incarcerated youth, and in-person college instruction inside juvenile youth facilities.
You can find a summary of the first Transitions webinar, held on April 17, along with the recording and presentation here.
The Redesigning with Transitions in Mind webinar series was produced by Career Ladders Project with funding from the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.